What follows is a study I made some time ago into low cost ways of reducing congestion along Moggill Rd, a key through road that goes through Kenmore Brisbane near where I live. The study is of general interest because many of the identified problems and solutions are applicable for a wide range of urban situations. Continue reading Low Cost Ways of Reducing Congestion
All posts by John Davidson
A Carbon Tax May be Smarter than Increasing the GST
This post argues that a carbon tax may be a smarter way of increasing revenue than changes to the GST. This would be particularly true if we are talking about replacing Labor’s complex carbon tax collection system with a KISS driven approach that collects the tax close to where the fossil carbon comes out of the ground or across our borders. This post is about revenue. Helping to save the planet is just a very desirable bonus.
Continue reading A Carbon Tax May be Smarter than Increasing the GST
Can You Help With TPP Review?
The full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – a pending trade deal between 12 nations including Australia – was released for the first time this week. The ABC is asking for help in analysing this document. It is specifically asking people to comment on parts that interest them to help prepare articles on the agreement. (The link includes the ABC form shown at the bottom of this post.)
Rackable Housing
There is a growing disconnection between where many people work and where they can live. We see this in things like fly in -fly out working arrangements as well as the growing number of jobs that can be done anywhere there is a reasonable internet connection. So what might this mean in terms of where and how people live? Continue reading Rackable Housing
Senate Voting Reform
In the the New Turnbull Cabinet post comments Jumpy asked the following question about proposals to change the Senate voting system:
“What do you make of the proposed voting changes, fairer and more representative or the established parties trying to cull competition ?”
The new Turnbull Cabinet
The Complete list of the new Turnbull cabinet is out. The losers are hardly surprising (Andrews, Hockey, Abetz and MacFarlane and Billson) and many of the moves interesting or sensible. (Ex: Taking Arts off Brandis.) Women have done well with the new Defense Minister being Marise Payne.
I don’t know much about many of the new winners. What do you think? Sensible moves? Highly questionable ones?
Malcolm the LNP Leader
It is nice to have an LNP leader who doesn’t think “we stopped the boats” is all that he needs to say about economic policy. However, the Tea Party faction is still strong in the LNP and Nats so my guess is that the left side of politics is going to be disappointed. So what effect do you think this will have on the next election?
What is Stopping Low Cost Housing?
In the comments on Hockey Does it Again Jumpy commented that
first home buyers should start at the lower end and work up.
However, this is easier said than done. This post looks at some of the things that are stopping people from doing this and some of the innovative things that might help people start at the low end if they were allowed to. Continue reading What is Stopping Low Cost Housing?
We Need a Conversation On Government Revenue
At the moment, the federal, state and many local governments are doing a poor job because they are suffering from a chronic shortage of revenue. It shows up as things like long waiting times for hospital treatment, endless arguments about the amount of money the states are getting from the commonwealth and Hockey’s ridiculous and grossly unfair attempt in 2014 to solve our alleged financial problems by really screwing those at the bottom. Continue reading We Need a Conversation On Government Revenue
Parking Spaces to Protected Bike Lanes
There are lots of good health, environmental and economic reasons for using bikes as replacement for other forms of transport and recreation. However, on average, your chances of being killed or injured are much higher when riding a bike than travelling by car. This post looks at some of the advantages and disadvantages of riding a bike instead of travelling by car. Continue reading Parking Spaces to Protected Bike Lanes
Welfare as a Loan?
In Australia welfare normally comes as a gift. You get money during a crisis and aren’t expected to pay it back. However, it is worth asking if people on some types of welfare might be better off with some form of welfare as a loan (WAL) that provides more money during a crisis. This post looks at how WAL might work for the unemployed: Continue reading Welfare as a Loan?
Welcome to the the Green Tea Coalition
Traditionally, doubting climate science has been an article of faith for the US Tea Party. Imagine my surprise at seeing this New Yorker report that sections of the Tea Party are now actively supporting rooftop solar and teaming up with the Sierra Club to form the “Green Tea Coalition. Coalition action includes:
helping defeat an effort by Georgia Power to impose heavy fees on customers with rooftop solar systems.”
So what is going on and are there implications for climate action in Australia?
The Tea party leader behind these moves is Debbie Dooley. Debbie is definitely not someone from the Tea party fringe. She is
one of the twenty-two organizers of the first nationwide Tea Party protest, in 2009…. a co-founder of the Atlanta Tea Party, on the board of directors of the national Tea Party Patriots, and, since 2012, has been a fierce solar-power advocate.
In addition, much of what she says in support of solar is pure Tea Party:
“I thought that the regulated (utility) monopoly in Georgia had far too much power…” Solar, …. promised to give people energy autonomy. “The average person cannot build a power plant, but they can install solar panels on their rooftop, and they should be able to sell that energy to friends and neighbors if they wish.”
She also talks about:
solar energy, the free market, consumer choice, and national security. “Rooftop solar makes it harder for terrorists to render a devastating blow to our power grid,” she said. “There’s nothing more centralized in our nation. If terrorists were able to take down nine key substations, it would cause a blackout coast to coast.”….
and actions such as leading
a major ballot initiative that would amend that state’s (Florida) constitution to allow individuals and businesses with solar panels to sell the power that they generate directly to their tenants or neighbors. (Current law permits only utility companies to sell electricity.)
The key things here are a growing aversion to big business trying to limit the freedom of individuals in addition in addition to the traditional Tea Party aversion to big government. There is no suggestion that the Tea party side of the coalition has suddenly decided to become climate change believers.
So what are the lessons for Australia given that the Tea party is an artifact of US culture? For me there a few key reminders:
- You don’t have to believe in climate science to do things that help slow climate change.
- In some cases ideological things like individualism. aversion to big business/government will help with things like rooftop solar, household recycling, urban farming etc.
- In other cases the fracking companies are helping build the case against fossil gas while helping to build the regional Greens vote.
- Then there is finance. The thing that is most likely to kill thermal coal projects and fossil power stations these days is the banks perception that these have become very risky investments.
- Then there is the economy. What the world economy needs right now is a big drive against Greenhouse emissions – You don’t need to believe in climate science – Just sensible economics.
No, I haven’t gone over to the Tea party but it is worth reading the rest of the New Yorker article on the fights that Dooley has fought and won against the likes of the Koch Bros and more.
If you want to find out even more, admire the picture, imagine Abbott stewing in the Tea Cup and go to: Green Tea Coalition
Bi-partisan Coalition of Environmentalists and tea party activists seeking common ground on common sense energy solutions for a stronger American economy.